Lost Keyboard and Mouse!!! Help

diggs33 · 03-15-2009, 05:41 PM

I have some sort of virus that keeps disabling my keyboard and mouse when I boot up my laptop. Here is what I have done... I have tried to format the HD and reinstall, but it still keeps happening. I even went as far as removing the hard drive getting a USB case for it and hooking it up to my desktop and formatting the thing. When I reinstalled the HD and reinstalled XP Pro, it seemed like it worked until I rebooted it the final time. That is when it came back. My mouse and keyboard work until it is completely booted, then it cuts out. It works just fine in safe mode but not in normal mode. I am at my limits.
I don't know what else to do. No anti-virus is picking it up. I would be greatful for any help. Thanks in advance for your time.

**Fren Banklin** · 03-15-2009, 10:11 PM

I guess the first question is why do you think that it is a "virus" that is doing this.

You are starting with a "clean slate" with the fresh format; the only way you can be getting infected is if your XP Installation disk is infected.

Are you using a real XP Installation disk to do the install, or is it a copy ?

Do you have any other drives on the system that may have infected files on them ?

The first thing to determine is IF you are infected with something. I'm not certain you are. But if you are, the second thing to determine is WHERE the malware is coming from.

Another explanation for your symptoms may be that whatever driver is being used during the installation process is good, but at some point, another driver is taking it's place and that is why the mouse & keyboard no longer work.

PS/2 devices are more reliable than USB. Are you using a USB keyboard & mouse, or a PS/2 ?

The most common reason for problems on New Install is the User does not install the chipset/motherboard drivers, or there are some missing. That is the first thing you should be thinking about.

If you are reasonably sure that the XP install is failing due to malware, pull the HD off the laptop after the install, mount it in a desktop machine as a secondary drive, then run an on-line malware scan from TrendMicro's HouseCall or Kaspersky's on-line scanner. If it doesn't find malware, I'd be looking elsewhere for the cause of your problems.

diggs33 · 03-16-2009, 05:37 AM

I am thinking that it is a virus because everytime I reboot the computer it seems to make everything worse.
It's a laptop, and it is the built in keyboard and mouse I am having the problem with.
Sometimes I can get a PS2 mouse and keyboard to work, but only sometimes.
I am using the factory install disks.
Do you think that these could be corrupted? ( Acer )
It only has the one drive.
I have heard of viruses hideing in the cashe, ??????
After the wipe and reinstall, it all worked fine, keyboard and mouse, they stop working after I got it all set up the way I like it and then turned it off for the night, then the next time I booted, it stopped working.
Any further suggestions?
I will try the malware scan tonight.
Thanks!

**Fren Banklin** · 03-16-2009, 09:22 AM

I do not think this is being caused by an infection. You may have a hardware problem.

After the install, navigate to the C:\Windows\386 folder and post the text inside the setupp.ini file. <-- Note there are 2 "P's" in "setupp"

The thing I'm looking for is the "PID".

dai · 03-16-2009, 09:59 AM

d/load and run the h/drive makers diognostic utility on the h/drive

http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

diggs33 · 03-16-2009, 06:43 PM

I think this is what you asked for.
This was all that was in the file.
I opened it with notepad.

[Pid]
ExtraData=786F687170637175716954806365EF
Pid=76477OEM

diggs33 · 03-16-2009, 06:57 PM

One more thing.
I just noticed that I forgot to tell you that the mouse can move from when you first see it at boot up until the windows boot up music plays. Where ever the mouse is at that time when the music plays, it stays there and will not move again.
I don't know if that helps at all.
Thanks again for your time.

**Fren Banklin** · 03-16-2009, 09:43 PM

http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/Product_IDs

Read the big chart from the link above. Note this line in the chart:

Quote:

Windows XP Home OEM SP2 VRMHOEM_EN 4-08-04 12:00 76477 OEM

The XP disk volume label "VRMHOEM_EN" corresponds to your PID, and you can use any disk with this volume label to install XP, with a lot more options than what you have with your Acer "factory disk" (or whatever they are calling it). For example, you can do a Repair Install, which I do not think is possible with your Acer disk.

Finding an XP disk with this volume label would be a good thing to do. It doesn't have to be an original disk, either. A copy will work just as well.

Try dai's suggestion to run the diagnostic utility software for you HD. If you need help finding it, post the manufacturer and model # of your HD.

03-15-2009, 05:41 PM	#1 (permalink)
diggs33 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 4 OS: XP Pro	Lost Keyboard and Mouse!!! Help I have some sort of virus that keeps disabling my keyboard and mouse when I boot up my laptop. Here is what I have done... I have tried to format the HD and reinstall, but it still keeps happening. I even went as far as removing the hard drive getting a USB case for it and hooking it up to my desktop and formatting the thing. When I reinstalled the HD and reinstalled XP Pro, it seemed like it worked until I rebooted it the final time. That is when it came back. My mouse and keyboard work until it is completely booted, then it cuts out. It works just fine in safe mode but not in normal mode. I am at my limits. I don't know what else to do. No anti-virus is picking it up. I would be greatful for any help. Thanks in advance for your time.

03-15-2009, 10:11 PM	#2 (permalink)
Fren Banklin gone Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,912 OS: gone	Re: Lost Keyboard and Mouse!!! Help I guess the first question is why do you think that it is a "virus" that is doing this. You are starting with a "clean slate" with the fresh format; the only way you can be getting infected is if your XP Installation disk is infected. Are you using a real XP Installation disk to do the install, or is it a copy ? Do you have any other drives on the system that may have infected files on them ? The first thing to determine is IF you are infected with something. I'm not certain you are. But if you are, the second thing to determine is WHERE the malware is coming from. Another explanation for your symptoms may be that whatever driver is being used during the installation process is good, but at some point, another driver is taking it's place and that is why the mouse & keyboard no longer work. PS/2 devices are more reliable than USB. Are you using a USB keyboard & mouse, or a PS/2 ? The most common reason for problems on New Install is the User does not install the chipset/motherboard drivers, or there are some missing. That is the first thing you should be thinking about. If you are reasonably sure that the XP install is failing due to malware, pull the HD off the laptop after the install, mount it in a desktop machine as a secondary drive, then run an on-line malware scan from TrendMicro's HouseCall or Kaspersky's on-line scanner. If it doesn't find malware, I'd be looking elsewhere for the cause of your problems. __________________ gone

03-16-2009, 05:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
diggs33 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 4 OS: XP Pro	Re: Lost Keyboard and Mouse!!! Help I am thinking that it is a virus because everytime I reboot the computer it seems to make everything worse. It's a laptop, and it is the built in keyboard and mouse I am having the problem with. Sometimes I can get a PS2 mouse and keyboard to work, but only sometimes. I am using the factory install disks. Do you think that these could be corrupted? ( Acer ) It only has the one drive. I have heard of viruses hideing in the cashe, ?????? After the wipe and reinstall, it all worked fine, keyboard and mouse, they stop working after I got it all set up the way I like it and then turned it off for the night, then the next time I booted, it stopped working. Any further suggestions? I will try the malware scan tonight. Thanks!

03-16-2009, 09:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
Fren Banklin gone Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,912 OS: gone	Re: Lost Keyboard and Mouse!!! Help I do not think this is being caused by an infection. You may have a hardware problem. After the install, navigate to the C:\Windows\386 folder and post the text inside the setupp.ini file. <-- Note there are 2 "P's" in "setupp" The thing I'm looking for is the "PID". __________________ gone Last edited by Fren Banklin; 03-16-2009 at 09:23 AM.

03-16-2009, 09:59 AM	#5 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,569 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Lost Keyboard and Mouse!!! Help d/load and run the h/drive makers diognostic utility on the h/drive http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287 __________________

03-16-2009, 06:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
diggs33 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 4 OS: XP Pro	Re: Lost Keyboard and Mouse!!! Help I think this is what you asked for. This was all that was in the file. I opened it with notepad. [Pid] ExtraData=786F687170637175716954806365EF Pid=76477OEM

03-16-2009, 06:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
diggs33 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 4 OS: XP Pro	Re: Lost Keyboard and Mouse!!! Help One more thing. I just noticed that I forgot to tell you that the mouse can move from when you first see it at boot up until the windows boot up music plays. Where ever the mouse is at that time when the music plays, it stays there and will not move again. I don't know if that helps at all. Thanks again for your time.